Ask Sam letter

To Sam31 August 2017

Shaving

Hi Sam,

i am ten years old, but I feel like I need to start shaving. My mum says that she is going to tell me about growing up soon. I feel like its all happening fast, but I want to be ready for back to school. Which I'm not.

but lets get to the point... I feel like I need to start shaving but don't know how to tell my mum. what should i say? we have never talked about anything like this before... Can you help me? I feel like everyone stares at my legs, and I am really self conscious about it now...

Thank you so much

Sam5 September 2017

Hi there,

When we go through puberty, a lot of changes happen to our bodies. For both boys and girls, hair begins to grow in places it didn't before and some people want to start shaving. Having a conversation about needing to shave might be difficult for some people if they feel embarrassed or unsure how to bring it up. So you might find it useful to plan out what you want to say beforehand and practise until it's easier to talk about.

Puberty can be a difficult time for some people. All of the changes that are happening may make you feel self-conscious about how you look. It's important to remember that what you're going through is normal and something that happens to everyone.

Whether you are a boy or girl, the choice about whether you shave parts of your body is yours to make. It's your body and you get to choose how you look and style it. If you feel more comfortable shaving then it's okay to ask for help when you first begin.

Having a conversation that you find embarrassing can be hard. But if you think about what you want to say and practise it with someone else first, it can become a little easier. Try writing a letter to yourself, saying everything you want to say. Seeing things written down in that way can help you to see that what you want to say is actually perfectly normal.

Talking to other people about this first can help you feel more confident when bringing it up with your mum. You might have friends you can talk to, or there might be other adults who you trust who you don't feel so nervous about speaking to. If you don't have anyone like this, you can always call Childline. Talking on the phone is a great way of getting used to talking out loud about something.

I hope this helps, thanks for sending the letter.

Take care.

Sam

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